Pump support adapter

ABSTRACT

A pump support adapter including a housing enclosed at its top and sides but open at the bottom and arranged to seat on the top edge of a well casing for supporting a vertical well pipe and pump hanging in the casing. The housing has a gasket on its lower edge to provide sealing engagement with the well casing and contains a connector portion having bottom open inlet means arranged to be connected to a vertical well pipe. The connector portion also includes one or more laterally extending outlet means in communication with the inlet means. These outlet means are arranged to be connected to discharge pipes. The housing has attaching means on its upper side arranged to be connected to lift mechanism for raising and lowering the housing in the well casing. The housing also includes a vent for venting the well and a fitting for receiving electrical lines.

United States atent 1 [451 Mar. 19, 1974 Hamar [76] Inventor:

[22] Filed:

[52] US. Cl. 166/88, 166/95 [51] Int. Cl E21b 33/03 [58] Field of Search166/75, 76. 85,86. 88. 166/95..96; 285/140 [56] References Cited UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 3.568.769 3/1971 Maass 166/88 2.946.385 7/1960 Dicken..166/88 786.838 4/1905 Poole 166/88 X 1.735.330 11/1929 McMahan 166/953.065.792 11/1962 Andrew 166/88 X 3.158.389 11/1964 Turner..... 166/88 X3.324.950 6/1967 PUMP SUPPORT ADAPTER James H. Hamar, 8336 SW. 23rd St..Portland, Oreg. 97219 Mar. 20, 1972 Appl. No.: 236,367

Andrew 166/85 Primary Examiner-Werner H. Schroeder Attorney, Agent, orFirm-Eugene M. Eckelman 5 7 ABSTRACT A pump support adapter including ahousing enclosed at its top and sides but open at the bottom andarranged to seat on the top edge ofa well casing for supporting avertical well pipe and pump hanging in the casing-The housing has agasket on its lower edge to provide sealing engagement with the wellcasing and contains a connector portion having bottom open inlet meansarranged to be connected to a vertical well pipe. The connector portionalso includes one or more laterally extending outlet means incommunication with the inlet means. These outlet means are arranged tobe connected to discharge pipes. The housing has attaching means onitsupper side arranged to be connected to lift mechanism for raising andlowering the housing in the well casing. The housing also includes aventfor venting the well and a fitting for receiving electrical lines.

5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PAIENTEBMAR 19 B74 3,797, 571

sum 2 BF 2 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to new anduseful improvements in pump support adapters.

Pump support means have heretofore been provided wherein a vertical wellpipe extends upwardly in a well casing and is associated with aconnector which extends laterally out through a suitable side aperturein the well casing. The entire support for the vertical well pipe andthe pump supported thereby is achieved through the connector, and sincesuch connector is attached to the well casing at the side aperture, theextremely heavy weight ofthe vertical well casing and pump creates unduestrain on the well casing at such opening if the pump is set at anextreme depth. In addition, in order to install a connector of thistype, the side opening must be cut in the well casing. Such must beaccomplished after the well casing is in place and is very inconvenient,particularly if the connector is to be welded to the well casings assome adapters are designed to be used. The side connector also makes itinconvenient for the vertical well casing to be detached in the eventthat the well pipe has to be raised such as for pump maintenance sincecertain pumps approximate the inside dimension of the well casing andwill accommodate no inside projection of the adapter or fitting.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention and forminga primary objective thereof, the present invention comprises a pumpsupport adapter which is adapted to seat directly on the top edge of acylindrical well casing, thus providing a firm support for the verticalwell pipe and pump without causing excessive strains at any one point onthe well casing, and also providing a structure which facilitates easyaccess to the well pipe.

Additional objects of the present invention are to provide an adapter ofthe type described including a housing in which is incorporated aconnector portion having inlet means arranged to support a vertical wellpipe and having outlet means in communication with the inlet means andarranged to be connected to a discharge pipe; which employs one or moreoutlet means so that one or more discharge pipes may be provided; andwhich employ means on the upper side of the housing arranged to beconnected to lift mechanism for raising and lowering the housing withrelation to the well casing.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pump supportadapter employing a gasket on its bottom edge arranged to provide asealing engagement between the housing and a well casing upon seatedengagement of the housing upon a well casing.

Still another object is to provide an adapter of the type describedwhich is simplified and inexpensive in construction.

The invention will be better understood and additional objects andadvantages will become apparent from the following description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferredforms of the device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a vertical sectional viewthrough a well casing and a first form of the 7 present pump supportadapter;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIG. I;and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 1 but showing a secondembodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to FIG. 1showing a first embodiment, the numeral 10 designates a cylindrical wellcasing of conventional construction which as is well known in insertedin a well hole 12 drilled in the ground. In such well structures, avertical well pipe 14 extends down through the casing W and supports apump. not shown, in suspended relation submerged in the fluid to bepumped up through the pipe. A suitable couple I6 is provided in the pipe14 as necessary for installation.

For purposes of installation of the present adapter, the top edge 18 ofthe well casing 12 is disposed below ground level either from its normalposition in the sunken position of the casing or is suitably cut off,the distance at which the top 18 is below ground level being determinedby frost level and other factors. In some cases it may be desired thatthe top edge 18 be at ground level or above. If below the surface asshown, a pit 20 is dug from the pipe to provide access and installation.

The present adapter includes a housing 22 which may be hollow as shown,having a top wall 24 and a peripheral side wall or apron 26 with abottom edge or shoulder 28. The housing is open at the bottom. Theadapter is arranged to be supported on the well casing by seatedengagement between the bottom edge 28 of such adapter and the top edge18 of the casing. Such gives even support of the adapter around thecasing. A gasket 32 having an outer surface angled inwardly from top tobottom is provided between the two edges 18 and 28 to provide a sealedjoint between the adapter housing and the well casing, the well casingengaging the angled portion of the gasket.

Projecting integrally from the lower portion of the housing 22 is anannular flange 34 which is of a dimension to telescope into the upperportion of the well casing 10. This flange holds the housing againstlateral displacement relative to the top edge of the casing. It alsoprovides support for the gasket 32, and in a preferred construction, thegasket 32 is fitted in a peripheral notch 36 in the flange.

Secured in the housing is a cross connector 40 having four innerthreaded projecting or flange portions 42, 44, 46 and 48. Flange portion42 projects through an opening 50 in top wall 24 of the housing and issecured integrally in place as by welding. This flange portion normallyreceives a threaded plug 52. Flange portion 46, which is disposeddiametrically across from flange portion 42, is adapted to threadedlyreceive the upper end of well pipe 14 and this threaded connectionprovides hanging support for the well pipe.

Flanges 44 and 48 are arranged for threaded engagement with nipples 54,and these nipples have threaded engagement in respective couplings 56secured in laterally extending openings 59 in the side wall 26 of thehousing. The couplings 56 are arranged for connection to laterallyextendingdischarge pipes 58 which may comprise service pipes. If only asingle pipe 58 is to lead from the adapter, as is shown in FIG. 1, aplug 60 may close the other outlet.

With particular reference to FIG. 2, the top wall 24 of the housing hasa fitting 60 for a vent nozzle 62. Such a nozzle allows the well tobreath as is required. Also mounted in the top wall 24 of the housing isa fitting 66 for an electrical input head 68 through which electricwires 70, also seen in FIG. 1, enter the housing and extend down thecasing to the pump. In a preferred construction, the wires 70 aresecured, as by clamp means 72, at spaced intervals to the pipe toprovide intermediate points of support for the wires rather thanallowing a single hanging weight thereof from the top.

In the installation of the present adapter, the well casing is firstsunk to the proper level. The top end, if not at the desired level, iscut off as necessary. The well pipe 14 is threadedly attached to theconnector 40 of the adapter 16 and the assembly lowered so that theadapter rests on the well casing. The gasket 32 between the twosupporting edges provides a seal around the top of the casing 10 toprevent any inlet of surface water or foreign material into the wellcasing, the hanging weight of the pipe 14 and pump thereon insuring thata good seal is effected. The lowering step just described is facilitatedby connecting a hanger or the like, not shown, in the flange portion 42in place of the plug 52, thus conveniently allowing raising and loweringin the installation by power lifting means such as a crane.

After the adapter has been seated on the well casing,

one or more discharge pipes 58 may be connected to couplings 56 and/orflange 42. If only one discharge pipe is to be used, the other outletisplugged. The top flange 42 is also plugged or is connected to adischarge pipe. In effect, both couplings 56 and flange 42 may beconnected to discharge lines in any preferred arrangement.

FIG. 3 shows a somewhat modified form of the invention. In thisembodiment, a housing 22 has a top wall 24 and a peripheral side wall orapron 26 with a downwardly facing bottom edge or shoulder 28'. It alsohas a bottom wall 74 from which projects an annular depending flange 76which is of a dimension to telescope into the upper portion of the wellcasing 10. The housing of FIG. 3 is of a construction facilitating itsbeing cast as a single unit and thereafter suitably finished forreceiving various pipes and the like as will now be described.

Housing 22 is cast with an opening 78 in the top wall 24 which is tappedand arranged to receive a plug 52, or, during installation, to receive ahanger or the like threaded in the opening 78 in lieu of the plug. Ofcourse, the opening 78 can also receive a discharge or service pipe ifdesired. The side or apron portion 26' of the housing is provided with apair of openings 80 which are tapped and arranged to receive dischargeor service pipes 58 as desired, or plugs 60 as desired. The bottom wall74 of the housing is provided with an opening 82 which is tapped andarranged to receive the well pipe 14. The manner of installation of theadapter shown in FIG. 3 is the same as in the embodiment of FIG. I, thisadapter also utilizing a gasket 32 disposed around the housing inabutment with the bottom edge 28 and arranged to provide a seal betweensuch edge and the top of the well casing 10. A union 84 may be providedin combination with pipe 58 as necessary to accomplish the necessaryhookup.

The assembly described provides an adapter which is easy to install andthe adapter, being seated squarely on top of the casing, provides foreven distribution of weight on the casing without any lateral warpingstrains. Furthermore, the hanging weight of the well pipe and pumpprovides a positive seal of the gasket. It is to be understood that theforms of my invention herein shown and described are to be taken aspreferred examples of the same and that various changes in the shape,size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A pump support adapter for sealing the top of a cylindrical wellcasing having an open top edge and also for supporting a vertical pipeand pump in suspended relation in a well from such open top edge,comprising a housing, said housing having a downwardly facing edgearranged to seat on the top edge of the well casing in a sealingsupport, means defining a downwardly opening inlet in said housingarranged to receive and support a vertical well pipe in suspendedrelation, and means defining an outlet in said housing arranged to besecured to a discharge pipe extending from said housing, said inlet andoutlet being in communication with each other and comprising an integralsealed part of said housing.

2. The pump support adapter of claim 1 wherein said downwardlyfacingedge of said housing includes a horizontal shoulder and adownwardly extending flange disposed adjacent to said shoulder inwardlythereof and arranged to be disposed interiorly of the casing when thehousing is supported on the casing, and a gasket abutting upwardlyagainst said shoulder and inwardly against said flange and arranged toengage the top edge of the casing to provide a seal between said housingand the well casing from the suspended weight of the vertical pipe andpump, the gasket having an outer surface angled inwardly from top tobottom against which it is arranged to have engagement with the wellcasing.

3. The pump support adapter of claim 1 including at least two outlets incommunication with said inlet and both comprising an integral sealedpart of said housing, one of said outlets extending laterally from thehousing below its upper end.

4. The pump support adapter of claim 1 including means at the upper endof said housing arranged to be connected to lift mechanism for raisingand lowering the housing.

5. The pump support adapter of claim 1 wherein said inlet comprises athreaded opening for receiving a vertical well pipe in threaded securedengagement for supporting the latter in suspended relation.

1. A pump supporT adapter for sealing the top of a cylindrical wellcasing having an open top edge and also for supporting a vertical pipeand pump in suspended relation in a well from such open top edge,comprising a housing, said housing having a downwardly facing edgearranged to seat on the top edge of the well casing in a sealingsupport, means defining a downwardly opening inlet in said housingarranged to receive and support a vertical well pipe in suspendedrelation, and means defining an outlet in said housing arranged to besecured to a discharge pipe extending from said housing, said inlet andoutlet being in communication with each other and comprising an integralsealed part of said housing.
 2. The pump support adapter of claim 1wherein said downwardly facing edge of said housing includes ahorizontal shoulder and a downwardly extending flange disposed adjacentto said shoulder inwardly thereof and arranged to be disposed interiorlyof the casing when the housing is supported on the casing, and a gasketabutting upwardly against said shoulder and inwardly against said flangeand arranged to engage the top edge of the casing to provide a sealbetween said housing and the well casing from the suspended weight ofthe vertical pipe and pump, the gasket having an outer surface angledinwardly from top to bottom against which it is arranged to haveengagement with the well casing.
 3. The pump support adapter of claim 1including at least two outlets in communication with said inlet and bothcomprising an integral sealed part of said housing, one of said outletsextending laterally from the housing below its upper end.
 4. The pumpsupport adapter of claim 1 including means at the upper end of saidhousing arranged to be connected to lift mechanism for raising andlowering the housing.
 5. The pump support adapter of claim 1 whereinsaid inlet comprises a threaded opening for receiving a vertical wellpipe in threaded secured engagement for supporting the latter insuspended relation.